1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a lawn tractor, and more particularly to a mower unit for use with a lawn tractor for discharging grass clippings cut by cutting blades in a predetermined direction as entrained by air flows.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a lawn tractor discharges grass clippings cut by cutting blades through a discharge opening formed at a lateral end of a blade housing, or transmits the grass clippings through a transport duct to a grass catcher mounted rearwardly of a tractor body. The lawn tractor disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open Publication H3-123411 or U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,188, for example, has a blade housing and a grass catcher connected through a duct, with a blower mounted in an intermediate position of the duct for causing grass clippings to flow smoothly to the grass catcher. The duct feeds the grass clippings discharged through a lateral end of the blade housing into the grass catcher mounted rearwardly of a tractor body. A region of transition from the blade housing to the duct includes a grass flow passage bent nearly 90 degrees, to limit an extent to which the duct protrudes laterally of the tractor body. In the region of transition, therefore, the flow of grass clippings is disturbed, i.e. a smooth flow thereof cannot be expected.